I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed through TurboTax on February 7th and my transcript is showing "Return Not Present" too. It's been really stressing me out because I need that refund for some medical bills. After reading all these comments, it seems like there's definitely something going on with February filings through TurboTax. So many of us are experiencing the same thing - got confirmation emails but transcript shows nothing filed. I just tried the taxr.ai tool that everyone's been recommending and honestly it was really helpful! For just $1 it analyzed my transcript and explained that the "not filed" status doesn't necessarily mean your return is lost - it often shows up when returns are in a verification queue or there's a processing backlog. It gave me a timeline of what to expect and when I should start worrying if nothing changes. Way better than trying to decode the IRS phone system that never lets you talk to a human. At least now I have some idea of what's happening instead of just panicking every day checking my transcript. Hopefully we'll all see our returns show up processed soon! 🙏

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed February 12th through TurboTax and my transcript shows "Return Not Present" even though I have all the confirmation emails. It's been so stressful because I really need that refund money. After reading through all these comments, it's actually reassuring to see so many people dealing with this exact issue - especially other February TurboTax filers. Makes me think it's definitely a processing backlog or system issue rather than something we did wrong. I just tried the taxr.ai tool that everyone's been mentioning and wow, it was actually really helpful! For just $1 it analyzed my transcript and explained that "Return Not Present" often shows up when returns are stuck in verification queues or processing backlogs. It gave me a realistic timeline of what to expect and when I should actually start worrying if nothing changes. Way better than trying to get through to the IRS phone system which seems impossible right now. At least now I have some actual information about what's happening instead of just checking my transcript daily and panicking. Hoping we all see our returns processed soon! 🤞

I filed an extended return last year via mail and it took almost 4 months to get my refund. E-file is sooooo much faster even with extensions. If you have the option next time, definitely e-file!

I'm in a similar situation and this thread has been really helpful! Filed my extended return by mail in mid-June and still waiting. Based on what everyone's sharing, it sounds like 6-8 weeks is typical for paper returns but could be longer with current backlogs. @Dylan Mitchell - since you mentioned counting on that refund money, you might want to try some of the suggestions here like calling the IRS or checking those third-party services people mentioned. The waiting game is brutal when you need the funds! One question for the group - has anyone had success checking their IRS account transcript online to see if their return shows up there before the "Where's My Refund" tool updates?

Has anyone tried the TurboTax Self-Employed app? My accountant charges me $650 to file my taxes each year and I'm wondering if I could just do it myself with good software. I've got about 20 clients and mostly standard expenses like software, computer equipment, and my home office.

I've been using a combination approach that's worked really well for my freelance photography business. For day-to-day expense tracking, I use Mint (which is free) connected to my business checking account and credit card. It automatically categorizes most transactions and I just review them weekly to make sure everything's labeled correctly. For invoicing and more detailed business tracking, I use FreshBooks. The mobile app is great for capturing receipts on the go, and it integrates well with my bank accounts. The real game-changer though has been setting up automatic transfers. I put 30% of every client payment into a separate "tax savings" account immediately. No more scrambling to find money for quarterly payments! One thing I learned the hard way - whatever system you choose, start using it consistently from day one. I tried to go back and categorize a whole year's worth of transactions once and it was absolutely brutal. Better to spend 10 minutes a week staying on top of it than 3 weekends at the end of the year trying to catch up.

Has anyone considered that the IRS might actually have record of receiving the 83(b) election? When I filed mine, I also lost track of my mailing receipt, but my tax accountant said the IRS should have the election in their records if they received it. You might be able to request confirmation from them directly.

I went through something very similar last year and can confirm that a clear photo of your certified mail receipt should be sufficient. The key is making sure the photo shows all the critical elements - the tracking number, postmark date, and IRS address. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given is to also screenshot the USPS tracking history from their website while it's still available. The online tracking records eventually get purged, so grab that information now and save it as a PDF. This gives you a second layer of documentation showing the delivery confirmation. Also, don't forget that you should have included a copy of the 83(b) election with your tax return for that year. Make sure you have a copy of that filed return as well - it's additional evidence that you made the election timely. The IRS Publication 15-A actually addresses situations where original documentation is lost, and they generally accept reasonable alternative evidence when taxpayers can demonstrate good faith compliance. Your photo plus the tracking information should easily meet that standard.

Just a heads up that you should check with your international student office at your university. Many universities have tax specialists who help international students with exactly these kinds of issues. When I had a similar problem, our ISO even contacted my employer directly to explain the tax exemptions for F-1 students. They might have template letters specifically addressing FICA exemptions that you can use, which sometimes carry more weight than just you asking on your own. Plus, they've probably dealt with dozens of similar cases and know exactly what language works best with reluctant employers.

I went through this exact same situation last year with my F-1 CPT status! Your employer is definitely wrong about not being able to "back date a tax change" - this isn't about changing tax policy, it's about correcting an error they made. Here's what worked for me: I documented everything in writing (emails to payroll, their responses, copies of my pay stubs showing the incorrect FICA withholding). Then I escalated to their HR manager with a formal written request citing IRS Publication 519 and explicitly mentioning that they need to file Form 941-X to correct the error. The key phrase I used was "incorrect tax withholding correction" rather than asking them to "refund" money - it frames it as fixing their mistake rather than doing you a favor. I also mentioned that the IRS requires employers to correct withholding errors when they're made aware of them. It took about 6 weeks total, but I got back $1,847 in incorrectly withheld FICA taxes. Don't let them brush you off - $2,300 is a lot of money and you're legally entitled to it!